Romance at the Vineyard

And this is now our award-winning pinot noir.

The smooth texture comes from our vintage oak-aged barrels

and gives us a wine that is mature,

yet has soft notes of raspberry, cherry, and vanilla.

- Mm, what's the secret. - Well, if I told you,

it wouldn't be a secret anymore.

But go ahead, give it a try.

Mm.

Oh my gosh that's good

Of course we're going to be

in your local Hank's Wine and Spirits

across the country this fall.

We are so excited.

So please make sure to tell your friends.

Thank you.

Sorry, excuse me.

Al, we have a problem.

Um, uh, can it wait?

No, it can't.

Okay.

Did you see the awards list?

I did, we cleaned up.

The board isn't happy.

Why?

Our wines won in almost every category.

Keyword being "almost."

What do you know about this Merado place?

Merado Vineyards, Santa Barbara, California.

First place pinot noir.

- I thought we bought them. - No.

We bought every vineyard in the area except that one.

- This place is gorgeous. - It is.

That's why you're getting it for us.

You think I can get them to sell?

- If they won't talk to you-- - If anyone can

talk someone into selling something they don't want to,

- it's you. - Is that a compliment?

Oh, this is really off, what happened?

Too much oak.

The oak in the new barrels is too intense

- and it swamped the fruit. - And the others?

What--what about the old barrels?

Perfect, but we needed to test the oak sensitivity

in the new barrels.

A lot of winemakers are moving away from oak barrels

for this very reason,

which is what I suggested when we replaced the barrels.

Right.

Okay, but the wine from the good barrels

is enough to get us through the summer

- and the tasting room, right? - Not enough

to fill our order with Hank's.

- We should consider the offer. - No.

Or talk to one of the vineyards.

All the vineyards in the area are owned by them, Nick.

I know, but, Al, maybe we should take the meeting

- at the very least. - Wine Inc. has basically

turned every other vineyard into a theme park.

I mean, what--what-- what does a Ferris wheel

have to do with making good wine?

I mean, technically nothing, but--

They'd ruin this place.

Look, I know things haven't been the way that they used to be--

They way they used to be?

Nanna and Poppa are hanging on by a thread.

But they don't know that we know that,

and the reps, they're coming to the Summer Nights tasting event.

Yeah, for us to officially sign the contract, Al,

we need the pinot noir that's now gone.

- We should tell Nanna and Poppa. - No, no, no,

under no circumstances can they find out.

That would cause them even more stress.

So what do we do?

Give me a day, I'll come up with something.

How much money did they offer this time?

I don't know, I didn't open the email.

Maybe you should.

Okay, okay, okay.

"Thank you for your offer, Ethan,

but we are not interested in selling at this time."

- Hey, man. - Well, how'd it go?

It was fine.

- She's not really my type. - She's gorgeous

and she had a PhD.

She's everyone's type.

We gotta get you to settle down, man.

Where's the fun in that?

I just haven't found the right one yet.

The Cara to my Ben.

You're ridiculous,

but not wrong.

So where you headed?

I'm at a winery in Santa Barbara.

Ah, the American Riviera.

I've always wanted to open a restaurant there.

You and Cara should come meet me.

I'll be here a few days.

Ah, I'm a bit swamped.

Going over new wines for the menu.

Speaking of,

what did you think of that bottle we sent over?

Do you want my honest opinion?

Was it that bad?

- Should've come to me. - We were going for exclusive

and everything under your label is--

Don't--don't say it.

Big box, mega corporate.

Hey, I gotta run.

We'll see about that.

Um, well, enjoy the wine, guys.

Hi, uh, what can I get ya?

Uh, sauvignon blanc, please.

Sure.

Um, first time here?

Yeah, but I've read about you guys.

Congratulations on your recent award.

Well, thank you.

Can I give you an insider's tip?

- Please. - Our pinot noir

is actually going to be world famous.

- World famous, huh? - Yeah,

it took my grandparents 10 years to perfect

and we finally just got national distribution.

Oh yeah, with who?

- Hank's Wine and Spirits. - Huh.

I had no idea.

Not that I should've known.

I--I was just, um--

You guys have already started selling through them?

Well, the--the deal isn't closed, closed.

We've--we've actually had some bottling issues

that kinda set us back a bit, but, you know,

Rome wasn't built in a day, so.

Something like that.

Yeah.

All right.

Mm, very nice, crisp.

- You from around here? - LA.

Huh, and how'd you hear about us?

My boss--friend--

my friend told me about this place.

- It's gorgeous. - And, uh, where you staying

- on your trip? - Your B&B actually.

Oh, well, you have great taste.

I hate to speak ill of any of the other vineyards

in the area, but, um,

they may look authentic from the outside,

but they're actually owned by this big corporate chain

Wine Inc.

Wow, really?

Yeah, it's just so sad to see all the family and the history

of each unique place being bought out.

We're actually being hounded by them at the moment as well.

- Oh yeah? - Yeah.

Would you guys ever sell to them?

Or to anyone who wanted to buy?

We honestly wouldn't even be considering it

if, um, things hadn't been so tough recently.

Hi, I'm Allee.

Nice to meet you, Allee, I'm--

Greg.

Well, nice to meet you, Greg.

Oh, right, yeah.

That might be one of the best wines

I've ever had in my life, and I've had a lot of wine.

- What's your secret? - Well, you're just gonna have to

go on our vineyard tour tomorrow and find out.

Room five, down there.

Enjoy your stay.

Oh, good evening, how can I help you?

Hi.

I have a reservation under Ethan Blake.

Oh, Ethan.

Ethan, Ethan Blake,

there you are.

- Room 12. - Great.

Um, would it be possible to change the first name?

It's actually Greg.

Well, I prefer Greg, not Ethan,

just Greg.

- Please? - Sure, honey.

Yeah, Greg it is.

Thank you.

I see that your reservation has been paid for,

so since you'll be staying right through the weekend,

please join us for a family dinner

and our annual Summer Nights tasting event

on Saturday.

That's also complementary for our B&B guests.

So if there's anything else you need,

just let me know.

You're upstairs to the right.

Got it, thanks.

- Hey. - How's it going?

- So far so good. - That is what I like to hear.

Hey, listen, I booked some rooms for the suits and I

to come down this weekend and seal the deal.

Can you have them primed and ready for sale by then?

Yeah, Saturday should be enough time.

Great, see ya then.